Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali (Sunjata)

Sundiata (also known as Sunjata) is an epic poem of the West African Mandinka (or Malinke) people. There is no single definitive source or version of this story, which originated in oral traditions of the 13th century and was passed down by griots, Mandinka poet-historians and regal advisors. Sundiata is a quasi-mythological biography of King Sundiata Keita, who founded the Mali Empire, which lasted from 1235 to 1400. The poem is also a central cultural narrative of the Mandinka people, who today live throughout Mali, Guinea, and the Ivory Coast.

Sundiata first appeared in written Arabic in the late 1800s. French and German versions were published just prior to the 20th century, and West Africans began writing variations by the 1930s. Modern versions likely stem from material amassed in the 20th century in French-controlled Sudan. This study guide is based on G. D. Pickett’s 1965 English translation of D. T. Niane’s 1960 French novelization of the epic as spoken by the griot Djeli Mamoudou Kouyaté.

Plot Summary

Sundiata lived in the 13th century and led the Mali Empire. His story begins when his father, the Mandinka King Naré Maghan Kon Fatta, is told by a seer that if he marries an ugly woman, their son will be destined to become a powerful king. Although already married and the father of a son, Naré Maghan is presented with an ugly woman with a hunched back. He recalls seer’s prophecy and marries this woman, Sogolon, with whom he has another son, Sundiata. After Naré Maghan dies around 1224, his first son Dankaran Tuman claims the throne in defiance of his father’s call for Sundiata to become king and fulfill the prophecy.

Because Sundiata was born unable to walk, and because of his mother Sogolon’s ugliness, both are subject to the ridicule of the new king and his mother Sassouma Bérété. At one point, after Sassouma insults Sogolon, Sundiata obtains an iron rod from the blacksmith. He successfully attempts to walk using the rod, which bends into the shape of a bow under his strength. He then uproots a baobab tree in another demonstration of strength. Soon after, Sassouma jealously drives Sundiata and Sogolon into exile. Although many kingdoms in the region refuse to take them in, the Mema kingdom offers them asylum.

While in Mema, Sundiata grows and is said to develop the strength of a lion. He serves under a great general and proves his military and tactical prowess, and then earns the position of viceroy to the king. Back in Mali, Dankaran has fled after an attack by Soumaoro Kanté, the cruel king of the Sosso Empire who has already captured nine kingdoms in the Ghanaian Empire. The people of Mandinka send for Sundiata, who declares war against Soumaoro and is eventually made king of the Mali Empire. He establishes a government that proves a successful foundation for the future. So important were his actions that Sundiata has been compared to Alexander the Great, who was Sundiata’s model.

During Sundiata’s reign, Mali became an economic and agricultural force. Much of this was a result of Sundiata’s ability to rule despite the diversity of his subjects, who were from many tribes and spoke numerous dialects. Sundiata’s historical accuracy is open to debate, like any work preserved through oral tradition, and various versions of the epic are taught and circulated today. Nonetheless, its historical significance is clear. This story was forged in a time when cultural traditions were merging, and it exemplifies the conflicts between the West African kings and the growing influence of Islam. It is also an excellent record of the syncretism (the mixing of different religions) active between Islam and traditional animism in 13th-century West Africa.

Expressing a culture through the life of a single hero, Sundiata is a prototypical example of the epic form and can be compared to other epic poems like The Epic of Gilgamesh, Beowulf, and the works of Homer. Sundiata’s story is part of the official national mythology of Mali, Gambia, Guinea, and Senegal. It remains an indelible part of Mande culture and is perpetually retold and performed.